Nicholls and Pritchard (Child support)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered the dispute between Nicholls and Pritchard concerning particulars of an administrative assessment of child support. The applicant, Nicholls, sought to have an estimate of income, which had not been lodged, refused.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether the Registrar of the Child Support Agency had erred in accepting the estimate of income provided by Pritchard, despite it not being lodged in the prescribed manner. Specifically, the Tribunal had to consider the validity of the estimate and whether it should have been refused on that basis.

The Tribunal found that the estimate of income had not been lodged in accordance with the requirements of the *Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988*. Consequently, the Tribunal set aside the original decision and substituted its own decision, refusing to accept the estimate of income.